The present invention relates to a lock which locks the door of a walk-in type large-sized refrigerator, freezing chamber or the like to the body thereof, and more particularly relates to a lock which can be unlocked from the inside of the above-mentioned refrigerator or the like.
The walk-in type refrigerator or the like is necessary to be constructed on the grounds of safety, such that if while a person is working inside the refrigerator or the like the door thereof is closed and locked by a mistake in operation made by other person or an accidental action, the door can be unlocked and opened through an operation performed by the trapped person oneself.
The inventor of the present invention has already proposed a lock, wherein a keeper is constituted by a fixed seat secured to a frame wall of the refrigerator body and a keeper body pivotally attached to the fixed seat and wherein the keeper body is rotated through an operation of a push rod performed from the inside of the refrigerator, thereby to undo the engagement between a latch member of a handle unit mounted on the door and a keeper member mounted on the keeper body.
This lock, however, has a limitation on improvement in structual secureness properties, since the fixed seat and the keeper body are connected through a strip-like coupling member which is easily distorted or deformed when a large stress acts thereon.
In addition, the operation of the lock is troublesome, since it is necessary to effect the re-assembly of the fixed seat and the movable body while maintaining the coupling member and an interlocking mechanism connected thereto in a given position.